Abstract:
According to the Wall Street Journal, a U.S. judge ruled on Monday that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a suspect in the OpenAI eavesdropping case, is a flight risk and cannot be released on bail. Previously, Alfzan was accused of installing eavesdropping equipment in a confidential conference room at OpenAI.
U.S. federal prosecutors said that before his arrest, Alfzan had been in contact with a member of the Saudi royal family about the opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia. The member of the Saudi royal family invited Alfzan to join the Saudi AI program.
At a hearing on Monday, a U.S. federal magistrate judge ruled that Alfzan, a 35-year-old former OpenAI employee, was a flight risk and therefore could not be released on bail while awaiting trial.
“There is a real risk (of absconding),” U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse said. “Once he leaves, this case is over.”
Judge Alex G. Xie repeatedly referred to a document from the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles offering to pay Alfzan’s entire bail.
"Even if I set bail at $10 million? (They'll pay it)," the judge asked. "I think that's very problematic. It looks like a blank check. 'Whatever the court asks for, we'll pay it to secure his release.'"
Alfozan's attorney, William Pernik, argued that his client was a green card holder and wanted to stay in the United States. "He's not a visitor, he's not a tourist, he's an immigrant who will get his citizenship in a few weeks," Pernick said.
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